Straw Bale Gardens Offer a Different Method of Container Gardening

1. In SeasonVolume 28, Number 3, May 2014
Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners and the Virginia Tech Department of Horticulture
Project aids the hungry
Lynn Brammer started “Share the Spare” in 2010 as a way
to help people receive fresh food and has since blossomed
into a community-wide Master Gardener project.
While perusing her local
Blacksburg Farmer’s Market one
day in 2010, Lynn Brammer had a
realization.
What if everyone at the market
bought something extra to donate
to people in need?
Brammer recognized the
importance of helping people
in the New River Valley receive
healthy, fresh, locally grown food
and set out to make it a reality.
“We need to find ways to make
healthy food an option for people
who are under the radar,” Brammer
said.
In an age where fast food is
abundant and cheap, Brammer
aimedtohelpmakefresh,nutritious
food a viable choice—thus “Share
the Spare” was born.
“Share the Spare” encourages
patrons of the farmer’s market to
buy additional items to be donated
to local food pantries and other
charitable organizations. Another
component of “Share the Spare”
is educating people about the value
of fresh, local produce.
“Part of being a good Master
Gardener is promoting good eating
habits and gardening principles,”
Brammer said.
The “Share the Spare” booth also
acts as a plant clinic for the patrons
of the market. Brammer says that
she has provided free soil test kits
and seeds to those interested and
answers numerous gardening
questions.
As an approved Master Gardener
project, “Share the Spare” aligns
with the goals of the Virginia
Cooperative Extension Master
Gardener Program.
“One of the main missions of
VCE at this time is the food-to-
table initiative—getting local food
to people in need,” said Wendy
Silverman, the New River Valley
Master Gardener Coordinator.
“(Share the Spare) fits right in line
with what VCE is doing at this
time.”
With the blessing of Virginia
Cooperative Extension and the
Blacksburg Farmer’s Market,
Brammer set up her booth and
By: Madeleine Gordon, Newsletter Editor
Inside.
Straw Bale Gardens
Publication Contest
Winners Announced
VCE Celebrates 100-
year anniversary
3
5
7
Kelli Lee Photography

2. Continued: MG ensures people receive fresh food donations
began collecting food in 2010.
She started raising awareness at the Farmer’s
Market by speaking to patrons and simply asking
them to buy one extra item to donate.
“The ball rolled and it was beyond what I
imagined,” Brammer said.
In addition to patrons donating extra food,
Brammer said that the vendors will often donate
some of their leftovers at the end of the market day.
“(It’s amazing) to see how generous people are
when all you do is hold your arms out,” Brammer
said.
Now that “Share the Spare” is in its fourth year,
Brammer said that people have begun to donate like
clockwork. She often has 60-70 lbs. to donate at the
end of the market day.
Right after the Farmer’s Market ends, Brammer
takes the food to various organizations like Plenty!
and the Interfaith Food Pantry to be distributed as
soon as possible.
“They understand that this is perishable stuff. This
is food that has to be turned over quick,” Brammer
said. “People come get it that day or the next day so
you know that it’s going to get on someone’s table
soon.”
Brammer said that since 2010, “Share the Spare”
has expanded beyond the farmer’s market booth and
now gathers food from other avenues as well.
Brammer reaches out to local gardeners to donate
their backyard garden surplus and she has teamed
up with the YMCA’s “Neighborhood Harvest”
program. The “Neighborhood Harvest” program
seeks out local fruit trees and with the permission
of the owner, volunteers pick the trees for donation.
“It’s a very collective collection of food,” Brammer
said.
Allof theseeffortshelped“SharetheSpare”donate
over two tons of food in 2011. Both Brammer and
Silverman recognize the impression that “Share the
Spare” and programs like it, have in the community.
“(The impact is) knowing that the food is going
to good use and that people are getting nourished.”
Silverman said. “I think it’s very important to the
community because we have a lot of hunger here.”
According to the New River Valley Community
Action 2013 Needs Assessment, as of the 2010
census, there are 30,708 people living below the
poverty line in the New River Valley. Of those,
only 6,400 people receive Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
“There are a lot of people who have limited access
to food,” Silverman said. “The fresh food pantries
that we have in our area can’t supply without having
food. So having a ‘Share the Spare’ program helps
fulfill that mission.”
Brammer and Silverman are hopeful for the future
of “Share the Spare” and the movement that it has
energized in the New River Valley.
“I’m overwhelmed by how “Share the Spare” has
grown and how much more can be done,” Brammer
said.
Brammer’s commitment to “Share the Spare” has
not only inspired several like-minded programs in
the NRV, but also inspires those around her.
“Her dedication to this mission is amazing. She
is so dedicated to getting food to people, especially
people who wouldn’t have healthy options,”
Silverman said.
Lynn Brammer (above) sets up the “Share the
Spare” booth at the Blacksburg Farmer’s Market
on Saturdays from 8 am to 2 p.m.
May 2014 Volume 28, Number 3
2

3. Straw Bale
Gardens
By: Kelli Scott
Extension Agent,
Agriculture and Natural
Resources
How many of you have heard
of or have some experience with
Straw Bale Gardens? This is a
newer concept to me. Although
I heard of growing vegetables in
straw bales and also using straw
bales to create raised beds and/or
cold frame space, the actual recipe
for creating a straw bale garden
was recently shared with me.
I’ve been working with a client
in the New River Valley that has
installed 3 rows of straw bale
gardens to his traditional vegetable
garden plot. He invited me out to
see the concept and learn more
about the process. The idea all
started when he was given a book
by Joel Karsten simply titled,
“Straw Bale Gardens.” Karsten
also has a website by the same
name. The wheels began to turn
and ideas began to spark. These
types of gardens are great for folks
with limited space, poor soils,
unprepared garden space, and it is
also great for folks with disabilities
as most of the bales are high
enough to sit by with no bending
over allowing for low maintenance
gardening activities.
AccordingtoKarsten,StrawBale
Gardening is simply a different
type of container gardening.
The main difference is that the
container is actually the straw bale
itself, held together with two or
three strings; the outside crust of
the bale serves as the container.
Once the straw inside the bale
begins to decompose, the straw
becomes “conditioned” and
ready to plant. The step by step
process of conditioning creates
an extraordinarily productive,
warm, moist and nutrient-rich
rooting environment for young
seedlings. Getting the straw bales
conditioned is an essential part of
the process, and should be started
approximately two weeks prior to
the target planting date in your
Straw Bale Gardens offer a different method of
container gardening.
Above: The trellising system
allows support for the plastic
covering. It will be removed
once the threat of frost is gone.
May 2014 Volume 28, Number 3
3
Kelli Lee Photography

4. Continued: A Look Into Creating Straw Bale Gardens
area. This planting date varies greatly depending on
whereyouareinVirginia,butthisgardeningtechnique
works anywhere for seasonal spring/summer or for
winter gardens with added frost protection.
To “condition” the bale, water the new bales
thoroughly and keep them wet for 3 days. Keeping
the bales moist is very important. Once the bales have
been watered they will be very heavy, so be sure they
are situated where you want them. As the inside of
the bales begins to decompose, they will start to warm
up. This is part of the conditioning process.
On days 4, 5, and 6, sprinkle the top of each bale
with 1 cup of ammonium sulfate (21-0-0) or a half cup
of urea (46-0-0), watering the fertilizer in well after
application. (Note: I would like to try an all-organic
version with a high dose of fish emulsion, but it may
be hard to keep the critters out). The act of watering
in the fertilizer application speeds up decomposition.
On days 7, 8, and 9 cut the amount of fertilizer per
bale in half. On day 10, stop adding fertilizer, but
keep the bales moist. On the day 11, feel the top of
the bale checking for heat. If still hot, check every
day until it cools down to body temperature or lower,
still keeping bales moist. Once cool to touch, you can
plant your straw bale garden. If you are unsure, use a
meat or soil thermometer to measure the heat several
inches down inside the bale. If weeds, oat grass, or
alfalfa starts to sprout in your bales, remove the plants
when small. Because the straw is decomposing,
mushrooms may also sprout from the bale. There is
no need to remove them, but they could be poisonous
so don’t eat them.
Left: Baby spouts
begin to emerge.
It’s very important
to vent the plastic
covering to avoid too
much heat buildup
during the day time
hours. Use a white
plastic vs. a clear to
avoid extreme tem-
peratures and rapid
plant growth.
Above: Irrigation source, trellising, and plastic
to provide season extension were incorporated
into the Straw Bale design.
For more information visit:
• Joel Karsten’s Straw Bale Gardens:
http://strawbalegardens.com/
• Washington State University-Benton
County Extension publication on Straw
Bale Gardening: http://milwaukee.
uwex.edu/files/2010/05/StrawBaleW-
SU.pdf
May 2014 Volume 28, Number 3
4
Each bale can hold 2-6 plants; it depends on the
mature size. A good rule of thumb is to plant 2-3
tomatoes per bale for optimum results and to ensure
adequate space for the plants. Straw bale gardens are
not only for vegetable production. They are also great
for annual ornamentals, cut flowers, and pollinator
attractors. Staking may be necessary. (See the photos
to get ideas on how to add a trellis/staking system to
the straw bale garden design.)
The bale will also need to be continually fertilized.
“Conditioning” does not ensure enough nutrients for
the entire season. It is recommended to fertilize once
a week with a balanced liquid fertilizer. As the seasons
progress and flower set starts, it is advantageous
to move from a balanced fertilizer formulation to
a “bloom buster” type of formulation. Look for a
fertilizer with a high phosphorus reading (the middle
number in the 3 number series). Once the season is
over, break up and compost the bale. It will create
a nice organic mulch to use in the landscape next
season.

5. Two brothers worked together
to produce this year’s winning
publication for the Virginia
Cooperative Extension 2014
consumer horticulture iBook
publication contest.
Caleb and Seth Fisher, both
Newport News VCE Master
Gardeners, won the contest with
their publication The Benefits of
Urban Backyard Chicken Keeping.
The brothers picked the topic of
urban backyard chicken keeping
because they could personally
attest to its benefits. Caleb and Seth
have fond memories of raising
chickens in their backyard during
a high school project 12 years ago.
In addition to having experience
with chicken keeping, Caleb and
Seth chose the topic because it was
an innovative subject for VCE.
“We did some research to
see what VCE papers had been
written on chickens because we
knew we had to do something
that hadn’t really been written on
before,” Seth said. “Caleb actually
did the research and looked in to
see what topics had been covered
on chickens and it wasn’t really
heavily written about.”
According to the brothers,
Consumer Horticulture iBook Publication Winner Announced
the publication is a mix of their
own experiences with facts and
research about urban backyard
chicken keeping.
“We wanted it to be a little
different than any of the other
publications by telling our story,
but we didn’t want the whole thing
to be a story. We had to find a
balance,” Seth said.
The brothers agree that adding a
personal touch gave a unique edge
to the publication.
“We wanted it to be informative
but we also wanted it to be personal
enough that people would get
more interested in it,” Caleb said.
They focused on incorporating
theirpositiveexperiencesalongside
statistics that aim to dispel the
myths about backyard chickens.
“What surprised us the most
was how quiet they are. Normally
you’d think chickens would be
loud but that’s usually the rooster,”
Seth said. “They can be loud when
they are laying eggs, but generally
they’re much quieter than the dogs
near us.”
To Seth and Caleb, the chickens
became more than a project—they
became family pets. Over the years
that the brothers kept chickens,
they recognized that each chicken
has a distinct personality. They
named their chickens just like any
other pet with names like Henny,
Penny, Polly, Dolly, Miss Wattle,
Phyllis and Elizabeth.
“They make very good pets,
almost like dogs or cats. They are
very loving,” Caleb said.
In addition to being great pets,
Caleb and Seth said that keeping
chickens is also great for your
garden.
“Chickens aren’t necessarily
a farm animal. They can be a
pet and a recycler by providing
nutrients for compost and garden.
Pets such as cats and dogs, you
can’t use their waste for compost,
but chickens you can,” Caleb said.
Also, keeping chickens allows
you to know where your food is
coming from, Seth said. Chickens
can eat up to 75% of table scraps
and controlling what the chickens
eat in turn allows you control the
nutrition of their eggs.
According to the publication,
when compared to the USDA
nutrient data for commercial
eggs, pasture-raised eggs contain
1/3 less cholesterol and 1/4 less
saturated fat, in addition to other
benefits.
The brothers said that one of
their goals with this publication
was to inform the public about
By: Madeleine Gordon, Newsletter Editor
May 2014 Volume 28, Number 3
5
Julia
Henny and PennyMiss Wattle

6. VMGA’s President
Tom Bolt challenged
Master Gardeners, local
associations and units
to make donations to
the State Coordinator
Endowment Fund. He
announced that VMGA
will match each cash gift dollar-for-dollar up to $10,000
made between now and June 30, 2014.
Increasing the cash balance in the Endowment
is important as the corpus is what earns interest. A
total of $212,319 in cash has been donated, and the
endowment market value has grown by over $59,000
through strategic investment and reinvested income.
President Bolt would like to see the cash balance
increase significantly and proposed the matching gift.
The VMGA members voted unanimously in support of
the idea.
Beginning at Master Gardener College this June,
VMGA will join the Office of the State Coordinator
in presenting donors of the level of Silverbell ($500-
$999) and Bald Cypress ($1,000-$4,999) a small gift
in appreciation for their support. Individuals and a
Market Value* $271,439
Cash gifts and pledge payments $212,319
Outstanding pledges $5,875
Deferred commitments $190,000
Interest income account $17,036
Total market value & pledged/committed $484,350
By Pat Reilly
VMGA to Match $10,000 in Gifts to Endowment
Continued: Publication inspired by chicken keeping experiences
The authors in the winter of 2000;
Caleb Fisher (left, age 5) & Seth
Fisher (right, age 15) getting fresh
water for the chickens.
representative of each association and unit that have
contributed to those levels will be acknowledged in front
of MG College attendees. Those not in attendance at
MG College will be recognized at a later date.
Right now is the time to make your gift to the
Coordinator Endowment! Consider that the donation
you make will come back threefold – your gift, VMGA’s
match to your gift, and the interest earned. That’s
making your money work for you…and our VCE Master
Gardener program!
A donation form is available at the VMGA website,
www.vmga.net. If you have questions, contact the
VMGA Coordinator Endowment Committee Chair Pat
Reillyatpat@thereillygroup.netorBenGrove,Associate
Director of CALS Development, by calling (540) 231-
7640 or emailing begrove@vt.edu. Thank you for
supporting VMGA’s State Coordinator Endowment!
VMGA Coordinator Endowment Status as of Apr 1, 2014
the numerous benefits to chicken
keeping. According to the
publication, chickens provide
healthy eggs, eat unwelcome
insects, weeds and table scraps,
and till the land.
“We want to make people, cities,
and government agencies aware in
hopes that they will reevaluate and
lessen the restrictions,” Seth said.
They also hope to dissuade
people from believing the various
myths and stigmas that surround
backyard chicken keeping.
“One thing that I thought was
interesting are the myths that have
been spread about chickens. It
will take a lot of time to disprove
those myths with a lot of people
because its already been ingrained
in society—the whole thought
that they are too loud, too messy,
too smelly and when you look at
the statistics they are a lot easier
to maintain then dogs and cats,”
Caleb said.
The publication will be available
online in PDF, epub, and iBook
versions in the summer of 2014.
“We want people to look at the
statistics and evaluate their own
opinions on the subject instead
of listening to the general hype
that is going around,” Caleb
said.
Seth agrees that the mindset
about chickens will have to change
in order to experience the benefits
widespread.
“Having chickens and
reprogramming our thought
process as to what chickens are
and what they can be is something
that can benefit everyone.”
May 2014 Volume 28, Number 3
6
Courtesy of Caleb and Seth Fisher

7. A History Lesson
I often say to appreciate where we are today, we
must look at how far we have come and relish in
the hard work and paths blazed by the ones that
came before us. 2014 allows a pause to celebrate
the centennial of Cooperative Extension; the past,
present, and future.
On May 14, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson
signed into law the Smith-Lever Act establishing
the Cooperative Extension system, and by doing so
significantly broadened the mission of the nation's
developing land-grant institutions. It marked
the beginning of a partnership among federal
government, state government, and higher education
in working cooperatively towards the solution
of social and economic problems. It elevated the
posture of higher educational institutions as social
actors accountable to the social systems they helped
to produce. It changed the view of university as a
training ground for the elite by expanding its mission
to the public domain.
The 100-year anniversary of the signing of the
Smith-Lever Act of 1914 which officially created the
national Cooperative Extension System, a state-by-
state network of educators who extend university-
based research and knowledge to the people, will
take place in 2014. This celebration will highlight
Extension’s past and focus on the contemporary
application of Extension’s transformational
educational programming into the future.
Extension in Virginia
In 1906, Dr. J. D. Eggleston, then State
Superintendent of Public Instruction in Virginia,
on learning about the work of Dr. Knapp, a
special agent in the United States Department of
Agriculture, and invited him to Virginia. While in
the state, Dr. Knapp got T. O. Sandy of Burkeville,
Virginia, to be a demonstrator. The demonstrations
conducted by Mr. Sandy under Dr. Knapp's direction
Celebrating 100
Years Of Cooperative
Extension
By: Kelli Scott
were so satisfactory that in 1907 Dr. Knapp made
him state agent and gave him authority to appoint
8 or 10 additional agents to help with the work. Mr.
Sandy set to work immediately and soon surrounded
himself with a group of practical and devoted men.
From the beginning, those in charge of farm
demonstration work realized that in the southern
states improvement of living standards among the
African-American farmers was just as important as
among whites, and that the best way to do this work
with the African-Americans was through African-
American agents. The first such agent to be appointed
in this state was J. B. Pierce in 1906 of Hampton
Institute, who worked in Gloucester County.
The first of these assistants was F. S. Farrar of
Amelia County, who began work October 1, 1907.
Early in 1909, he organized about 100 young boys
in Dinwiddie and Chesterfield Counties into "corn
clubs." These boys soon averaged 65 bushels of
corn per acre on farms which had produced only 17
bushels per acre.
Demonstration was a new thing in education.
Here and there, school superintendents and others
began to show interest. W. C. Shackelford was
appointed demonstration agent with headquarters
at Charlottesville and J. H. Quinsenberry with
headquarters at Louisa. Within the next year or two,
W. P. Moore in Bedford and J. C. Bruce in Culpeper
were appointed.
Girls' club work in Virginia started in Nottoway
and Halifax Counties in 1910 under the direction
of Miss Ella G. Agnew of Nottoway County. This
work was first known as "girls' canning club work."
It gave the farm girls in their homes the same type
of instruction that was being given to farm boys on
their farms. Within a few years, girls' canning club
work had gained so much favorable recognition
that the agents directing it became known as home
demonstration agents.
May 2014 Volume 28, Number 3
7

8. In Season, Editor, Madeleine Gordon mlg757@vt.edu; MG Communications Project Coordinator, Lindsey Nelson
David D. Close, VCE State Master Gardener Coordinator; John Freeborn, Assistant Master Gardener Coordinator
The Virginia Master Gardener Leadership Development Newsletter goes to all active VCE Master Gardeners in Virginia. It
is published by the Department of Horticulture, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
University, Mail Code 0327, Blacksburg, VA 24061.
If you are a person with a disability and desire assistance or accommodation, please call David D. Close, 540-231-2714,
during business hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. The VCE Master Gardener seal and title are trademarks of the VCE Master
Gardener Program.
Virginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex,
religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. An equal opportunity/ affirmative
action employer. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, and the
U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Edwin J. Jones, Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech,
Blacksburg; Jewel E. Hairston, Interim Administrator, 1890 Extension Program,Virginia State, Petersburg
Continued: Virginia Cooperative Extension celebrates centennial
History of the Virginia Master
Gardener Program
Many of Virginia Cooperative Extension’s current
volunteer “Master” programs are designed from
models implemented by the hard working, eager,
early demonstration agents. The Virginia Master
Gardener program was started in 1979 in Arlington
County, VA. The applied program model was
adapted from a successful volunteer program in
Washington State.
Dr. Diane Relf began working at Virginia Tech as
the Horticulture Extension Specialist in the late 70’s.
Dr. Relf was the first woman to hold this title in the
United States. Diane supported and grew interest in
the Master Gardener program assisting many units
with curriculum and training, which established the
volunteer horticulture program inside the Virginia
Cooperative Extension offices. In 1982, funding was
secured directly from Dean Andy Swegert for the first
State Master Gardener Coordinator, Judy Schwab. In
1984-85 under supervision of Diane Relf, Judy and
MG volunteers put together the first MG Handbook.
She also helped to start the first MG conference on
campus that evolved to the MG College.
Today, we are so proud to see the program
has grown to touch all communities across the
Commonwealth with 60 established program
units and 5,500 active volunteers, which provides
approximately 360,000 volunteer hours annually,
creating increased community outreach, collective
impact, and a value of over 8 million dollars to
Virginia Cooperative Extension. We are celebrating
the 27th year of Master Gardener College, and the
curriculum has grown to include advanced steward
training and certification, as well as online modules
and learning opportunities.
In 2013, the Virginia Master Gardener Program
revised the strategic planning process working
to maintain both the progressive and traditional
objectives of the statewide volunteer program.
Mission
Sharing Knowledge.
Empowering Communities.
Vision
To be the Virginia Cooperative Extension
volunteer organization extending horticultural and
environmental outreach across the Commonwealth.
Core Values (Internal and External)
Respect
• The environment, each other and those we
serve
Accountability
• Wise stewardship of resources
• To our organization, our community and
each other
Collaboration
• Willing to work with a diverse group to reach
a common goal
• Actively seeking out partners
May 2014 Volume 28, Number 3
8